The Renewable Energy Company

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What to Do If Your Solar Power System isn't Producing Enough Power

An ineffective solar power system is highly disruptive and frustrating, leading to large electricity bills or even total system failure.

Dirt, bird droppings, lichen or mould can wreak havoc with your solar panels’ output, so if they aren’t performing as intended here are some things to check.

1. Check the Inverter

There are various factors that could impede your solar system from producing maximum power on even an ideal sunny day, from installation glitches to ageing battery packages causing energy production to decrease.

Before using your inverter display, it is essential that you first verify if it is switched on. Once on, check to see if any warning messages or error codes appear and consult the user manual to see what they mean.

Make sure the AC and DC isolator switches are both in their proper positions. One may have been knocked off during installation or it could be that a circuit breaker has tripped and needs to be reset – in either instance contact your solar installer right away so they can assess.

Other things to check include making sure that the cables connecting your solar array to the grid are undamaged, as well as checking the inverter display for signs of overvoltage (it should alert and reduce generation if grid voltage exceeds 255V). It may be beneficial to have professional service providers inspect your solar system regularly in order to detect problems early and provide timely maintenance or repairs; they should offer affordable plans with regular or biannual visits from qualified specialists.

2. Check the Batteries

Batteries serve as energy storage components of solar systems, providing energy on cloudy days or evenings when it might otherwise not be produced by sunlight alone. So if the system has suddenly stopped producing as much power, the issue could lie within its batteries.

Verify the condition of the battery terminals, and inspect for signs of corrosion on their contacts, by using a multimeter to measure voltage readings from each battery terminal; they should read between 0.5V-0.5V. If that reading does not exist, new batteries may need to be purchased immediately.

One common cause of poor solar panel performance is shading from trees or building extensions nearby, as well as debris such as dirt, lichen or bird droppings blocking panels which could reduce performance by 5 to 10%.

Common causes for zero amps can include physical damage to panels such as cracks or hot spots. Improper wiring or equipment installation also contributes to zero amps – for instance using incorrect multimeter settings or techniques can lead to zero amps readings.

3. Check the Connections

Your system could not be connecting correctly for various reasons. If your solar metre is reading incorrectly or is not transmitting data, check for shading issues as well as physical damage such as blockages on its sensor. Cleaning may help; otherwise contact your provider about repairs or replacements as this might also require an update in firmware for your meter.

4. Check the Panels

Solar panels are made with durable tempered glass which is designed to withstand constant use, yet they still can become damaged from tree branches, bird droppings or strong storms. If this happens then silicon wafers within can become exposed, leading to decreased output from their solar cells.

State of Charge Check Your Solar Panel’s State of Charge is another factor influencing its performance and can easily be evaluated using a multi-meter. Place the black probe in the COM slot while red goes into V/O/Hz slot – check each battery state of charge over 50% so as to ascertain how much energy is produced over time.

Be sure to keep an eye out for any trees growing taller or rooftop structures adding shade-blocking roof structures near your panels – they could be blocking out a portion of sunlight you could otherwise capture and don’t forget bird droppings and mould growth which could further hinder performance!

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